One Short Night
by 3Mindy3
Summary: Fiyero is traveling with Dorothy and meets up with an unexpected visitor. Please R&R! Charactes meant to be a little OOC.


**My very first fanfiction! (please be kind)**

**Fiyerba one-shot of how they hatched the plan to fake her death. Musicalverse in between "No Good Deed" and "For Good"**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING FROM "WICKED" OR "THE WIZARD OF OZ"!**

**Please Review!**

"One Short Night"

It was around midnight when the scarecrow sat awake at a safe-distance from the softly flickering campfire. He had told Dorothy and the other members of their odd party that he would keep watch since he didn't need any sleep. Fiyero didn't mind it; the solitude gave him time to think of the recent events.

So much had happened in the past few days, the Gale Force attempting to destroy him, waking up in the cornfield as a scarecrow, meeting Dorothy and joining her on her journey to the Emerald City. He stared at the people he had been ally's with for the past few days; a man made entirely out of tin, a cowardly lion, and a small farm girl who wanted to return to the place she called "Kansas". Not one of them seemed as a threat, but all of them were working towards the same goal, to kill Elphaba, the women he loved.

Elphaba...his mind flashed back to a memory of the day he and his group met up with her. The look in her eyes scared him more than anything had ever scared him before, they were dead. The usual fiery passion in her eyes that he had come to know and love had vanished, and in its place were two cold lifeless orbs, only he could see the unbearable pain and grief that she hid so well.

He didn't blame her, of course, for shooting fire towards him. Though it gave him quite a scare, he understood if she had known who he was she never would have done that. Nothing she could do or say could make him believe she was wicked; she was simply in a lot of pain.

He considered abandoning his group and running to her many times, but ultimately he knew that being close to her enemies was the only way he could attempt to protect her. He would face a million fireballs if it meant Elphaba would be safe, nobody would harm her on his watch.

His greatest fear, besides losing her, was that she would not accept him in his new form. Who could love a man made out of straw? He didn't even understand why she wanted to be with him before his transformation, and now he felt he didn't stand a chance.

Lost in his thoughts, Fiyero suddenly became aware of his surroundings when he heard a twig snap in the forest.

"Who's there?" he said with as much false courage he could muster. Only silence followed.

"Reveal yourself now!" he hissed. Only silence followed.

Suddenly, without realizing what he was saying, Fiyero blurted out; "Elphaba?"

* * *

The moment the word escaped from his cloth lips, a furious green-skinned woman emerged from the dark woods and pushed the scarecrow against a tree, fury in her eyes.

"How do you know that name!" she hissed in anger, not allowing the scarecrow to move.

Still shocked to see Elphaba standing before him, all he could manage to spit out was "Elphaba?"

"All right scarecrow, you have thirty seconds to give me a reason not to toss you into that campfire this minute!"

The remarkable women turned her back to the scarecrow and began walking away from him.

"Elphaba, it's me, Fiyero!" the prince murmured softly. The green women stopped dead in her tracks.

"You lie." She said with such venom it frightened him.

"It's true Elphaba, I'm not sure how it happened, but I transformed into this body."

Fiyero hesitantly approached the witch's shivering body and placed a gloved hand on her shoulder. Elphaba whipped around swiftly with enough rage in her eyes to kill.

"When you go back to the Wizard, take a message back from me. Tell him that the Wicked Witch of the West isn't falling for his little trap. To send _you_, to make me believe you are my dead-" she choked the last word and Fiyero saw tears begin to form in her angry eyes.

She turned around and began to dash toward her broom before she could show any more vulnerability towards the cruel stranger.

Fiyero didn't think, he simply had to prove to her that he was who he was and before he knew it, the words were slipping out of his mouth.

"Every moment, as long as you're mine, come be who you want to, and see how bright we shine!" He sang softly and earnestly.

Elphaba turned slowly with silent tears sliding down her green cheeks. Fiyero walked towards her and gently took her hands in his.

"Borrow the moonlight, until it is through, and know I'll be here holding you."

Elphaba shook her head slowly, tears flowing freely from her eyes.

"As long as your mine" they both whispered together before her knees gave out.

* * *

Elphaba knelt on the ground, covering her mouth with her hand as her body shook with silent sobs. Fiyero knelt to the ground beside her and collected her in his arms, allowing her to weep into his straw filled chest.

"Y-you d-died!" she whispered, her head buried in his chest. Fiyero tightened his arms around her. "You saved me."

Suddenly Elphaba glared ferociously at him. "Saved you?" she said through gritted teeth as she released herself from his grasp.

"Look at yourself! It's my fault that you are in this horrible scarecrow body! I'm horrible, _this_ is how I thank you for giving up everything to be with me?" she hissed, water in her eyes.

"You know what Elphaba? You're right! It is your fault! It's your fault that the Gale Force didn't beat me to death and leave me to die in that wretched cornfield! It's your fault I'm alive damn it!"

"I'm a horrible wicked witch and you shouldn't love me!" she whispered so softly he could barely hear. Her words killed him a little on the inside; he placed both of his hands on her cheeks.

"Elphaba Thropp, you can't believe that is true. You are the deepest, most caring woman I have met in my entire life. And nothing you can say or do is going to make me believe that you are wicked. Nothing you can say or do can make me leave your side."

"But it's true, I'm wicked! I've been hunting you and Dorothy and everyone for a blasted pair of shoes." She whispered, looking up into his eyes with horror. "Oh sweet Oz I almost killed you with that fire!"

"You didn't recognize me! And I'm fine, as for being wicked, that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! Even if everyone in Oz believes it, I will always know the true you, Glinda will too. You are _grieving_ Elphaba, people do unreasonable things when they grieve. You lost a sister, you thought you lost me; it's only natural that you would act out. But you need to realize that I'm not gone, and I'm not going anywhere without you. You can't forget who you are; I won't _let you _forget who you are. You have been lonely for too long, please just let me it…I love you Elphaba."  
Elphaba finally looked up into the eyes of her scarecrow.

"Y-you love me?" she asked.

Fiyero took her hands in his and kissed them.

"I do, for quite some time now." He replied.

Elphaba just stared at him for a few moments, letting it all sink in.

"Nobody has ever told me that before." She said softly, looking at her hands.

Fiyero lifted her chin up so her eyes met his, then he drew her in for a soft kiss.

"I love you too Fiyero." She murmured, a slight smile touching her lips for the first time in a long time. "Straw or flesh, you are still beautiful to me."

Fiyero chuckled. "You don't have to lie."

Elphaba only gave him a knowing smile before leaning in for another kiss.

* * *

That night, Fiyero and Elphaba lay under the stars far enough away from the camp site so as not to wake the group. For some time, neither of them said anything. Elphaba rested her head on Fiyero's straw filled arm, knowing that their happiness was temporary because the events that were to take place in the morning.

"Fiyero?"

"Yes love?"

"Their coming to kill me tomorrow aren't they?" she whispered.

For a long time, Fiyero said nothing. He knew she already knew the answer to that question.

"Well I just won't let that happen Elphaba." He whispered softly placing a kiss on her dark hair. Elphaba took a long sigh, deep in thought.

"I'm limited Fiyero. Just look at me, I'm limited. Even if they don't kill me tomorrow, Madame Morrible won't stop until I'm in the ground."

Fiyero flinched at her words and then sighed.

"Elphaba, you have had the most unfortunate life of anyone in Oz. It breaks my heart to think of how someone as good hearted as you has had to deal with so much hardship. The really cruel thing is, nobody deserves it less than you. You don't have to be the brave one all the time Elphaba."

"Yes I do." Elphaba said fighting back tears. "I can't show weakness, or I don't stand a chance."

"It's just me, don't be the strong one, just for tonight. Let me take care of you."

After a few moments of silence, Elphaba lost all resistance and let the tears she had been holding back fall.

"It's just not fair!" she cried. Fiyero stroked her hair soothingly as he listened to her intently.

"I hate it, I was never loved by my father because of this monstrous green complexion. I never had one friend growing up, I was the celery girl, the artichoke, and I always pretended that I didn't care…but I did. Every rude remark, every joke behind my back, every time my dad praised Nessa and ignored me…it just killed me. That is the way my childhood went, and by Shiz I had lost any hope of finding acceptance so I acted proud, strong, and capable. But it was all a charade. I never had a friend until Glinda, but she was always spending time with you, who I realized I could never have which hurt me more. Then I got the chance to meet the wizard, finally someone would respect me. Finally Oz would know the real me…and well I think you know the rest of the tale. Here I am, the Wicked Witch of the West. The most hated woman in all of Oz. What did I do to deserve this Fiyero? Where do I go from here?" Elphaba ranted, through gasping breaths.

She had kept every feeling to herself until now, because nobody had ever listened to her. Fiyero said nothing; he simply held her shaking body in his arms and let her cry. When her sobs at last subsided Fiyero finally spoke.

"I'll tell you where we go from here. I think it is clear to see that we have no future in Oz."

"No, _I_ have no future in Oz." Elphaba sighed.

"Damn it Elphaba, why would I stay in Oz if it means not being able to be with you. I have no future without you."

"Ok then what are you suggesting?"

"Well, if Oz wants you dead, maybe we should give them what they want."

Noticing the puzzled expression on her face he continued.

"You see, during the Oz awful 'surprise' engagement party Glinda threw for me, there were people spreading outrageous rumors about you." He said through clenched teeth.

"Ah, yes, haven't you heard of my extra eye that always stays awake?"

"Yes, er- long story short, half of Oz believes that pure water can melt you."

Elphaba, though still slightly confused by how the rumor came to be, was starting to understand.

"I fake my own death?"

"Exactly, we leave a bucket of water lying about. I'll plant the idea in Dorothy's head about the water, she splashes you, and you proceed to melt."

Elphaba nodded slowly. "And what do we do from there?"

"In the castle, there is a trap door, you can hide there and you'll be safe. Then, once the word is spread that the Wicked Witch of the West is dead, I'll come back for you, and we'll leave Oz together."

"Together?" Elphaba asked pressing her palm to his cheek.

"Together, my darling." He whispered.

"You'll come for me?" she whispered.

"I swear Elphaba, we can start a new life in a new land."

A single tear slid down Elphaba's green face.

"Fiyero I'm afraid." She whispered.

"I know love, I'm afraid as well. But we'll have each other, always."

Elphaba nodded and leaned in for a quick kiss before snuggling closer to his chest.

"Perhaps when we leave Oz I can find a way to reverse this spell." She said playing with a piece of straw poking out of his shirt, guilt heavy in her heart.

"At least now we are equal appearance-wise." She whispered more to herself than to Fiyero.

"Nope, you have always been the more attractive one in this relationship and you know it."

Elphaba only rolled her eyes.

"What?" Fiyero smiled. "Green is my favorite color!"

Elphaba rolled her eyes again and slapped him on his chest.

"You really are brainless."

* * *

Elphaba couldn't be sure when she actually fell asleep, but the next thing she knew was being prodded awake. She looked into the eyes of her scarecrow and found sadness in them.

"When did I fall asleep?"

"Around three, I couldn't wake you up, you looked so peaceful. Elphaba look at the sky." He said sadly.

The sky, though still dark was beginning to show the first signs of the day.

"I see." Elphaba said sadly. "My assassins will be awake soon."

Fiyero winced at her choice of words but nodded. He slowly sat her upright and leaned in for a soft kiss.

"Remember Elphaba, no matter how much it seems that I'm trying to kill you, it is all part of the plan."

"And remember, Fiyero, no matter how wicked I appear today, I'm still in love with you." She said with a slight smile.

"You can't fathom how long I have waited for you Elphaba, since our days at Shiz. I swear to you that I will make things right for us, and we will start a new life together, no matter how scary it will be."

Elphaba nodded, willing herself not to cry at their separation. They shared one last kiss before she mounted her broom stick and began to fly west.

The scarecrow sighed as he watched her fly off, knowing that she was the bravest person in all of Oz, and she was all his.


End file.
